Naturally occurring steviol glycosides are sweet-tasting compounds extracted from the stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni). Typically, stevia plant extract includes stevioside (4-13% dry weight), steviolbioside (trace), the rebaudiosides, including rebaudioside (“Reb”) A (1-6%), rebaudioside B (trace), rebaudioside C (1-2%), rebaudioside D (trace), and rebaudioside E (trace), and dulcoside A (0.4-0.7%). Many steviol glycosides are potent, non-nutritive sweeteners. For example, Rebaudioside A has a sweetness about 200 to 300 times the sweetness of sucrose.
The food and beverage industry has become interested in steviol glycosides in the pursuit of alternative sweeteners. However, replacing nutritive sweeteners with known potent non-nutritive sweeteners is difficult due to slow on-set or off-tastes associated with these sweeteners, including, for example, bitter, licorice, or lingering aftertastes. Thus, there remains a need for high-potency sweeteners that better mimic sugar's taste profile.